SCOTLAND'S rate of coronavirus infection is estimated to be the lowest in the UK, according to the latest figures.

New estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate around one in 180 people in private households in Scotland had Covid-19 between February 6 and 12.

This is a drop from one in 150 between January 31 and February 6.

ONS figures indicate around one in 115 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between February 6 and 12, with the rate in Wales at around one in 125 and in Northern Ireland at around one in 105.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the latest figures are a “further indication that lockdown restrictions are having the desired effect”.

Speaking at the Scottish Government’s coronavirus briefing on Friday, he also said Scotland has recorded 31 deaths from coronavirus and 885 positive tests in the past 24 hours.

This brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 6916.

READ MORE: Covid in Scotland: 885 cases amid new signs lockdown is having 'desired effect'

The daily test positivity rate is 4.4%, down from 3.8% the previous day, and 195,839 people have now tested positive in Scotland since the start of the pandemic.

There are 1222 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down 39 in 24 hours, and 98 patients are in intensive care, up three.

Swinney also said that by 8.30am on Friday, 1,386,152 Scots had received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine – an increase of 31,186 from the previous day.

He also addressed the return of nursery children and youngsters in P1 to P3 to schools on Monday, as well as a limited number of senior students at secondary who need to do practical work for their qualifications.

Swinney, also the Education Secretary, said: “This partial return of education is an important milestone.”

He said at-home, lateral flow testing for Covid-19 will be made available twice a week for staff and students at schools – with around 2,500 schools now having received testing kits and the remainder expected either on Friday or by early next week.

Swinney stressed testing is voluntary but it is “a very important addition to the other safety mitigations that are already in place”.